Disposable-flying insect trap

ABSTRACT

A disposable flying insect trap having an entry plate with a plastic bag affixed to the entry plate periphery and including entry plate port openings for receiving the insects. The entry plate is sealed by a lid which is removable for insertion of liquid therewithin. The lid is positionable from its sealed position to a second position spaced from the entry plate surface and defining a gap therebetween to enable the insects to fly into the bag interior, attracted by the bait within the bag. The lid is removable from the entry plate by a hang cord which, when pulled, dislodges the lid from the entry plate surface.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of copending application Ser. No.10/931,046, filed Sep. 1, 2004 and issuing as U.S. Pat. No. 7,290,368 onNov. 6, 2007, and hereby claims the priority thereof to which it isentitled.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to a disposable flying insecttrap requiring no tools, cutting, or special hangers for set up, use anddisposal. More specifically, the present invention relates to adisposable flying insect trap having a pre-installed bait packet withina plastic bag that hangs from the periphery of an entry plate. The entryplate includes entry port openings through which flying insects mayenter for capture within the plastic bag. A lid is secured to the entryplate in its shipped condition to seal the entry port openings and baginterior to the atmosphere. The lid is removable by the user andconnectable to the entry plate in a second, in use, position whereby thelid is displaced from the entry plate surface to enable opening of theentry ports to the surrounding environment. The lid is removable fromthe entry plate through a pull cord that also acts as a hang cord forthe bag.

2. Description of the Related Art

Disposable flying insect traps are known. Such traps may include aflexible containment bag that includes bait or attractant materialwithin the bag to be mixed with water to attract the flying insects.Such bag may include an upper support member that has an opening for theflying insects to enter the bag. When the flying insects are attractedto enter into the bag interior, they will be trapped therein and willdrown in the liquid. The bag may then be discarded after use. See, forexample, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,682,706; 4,899,485; 4,873,787; and 4,551,941.One commercially available disposable fly trap is known as the Rescue!Fly Trap®.

One of the problems with the current traps on the market, such as theRescue! Fly Trap®, is that the consumer is required to cut open theentry area before filling the trap with water. Thus, separate tools,such as scissors or knives, are needed to prepare the trap beforeplacement at a convenient location. Hence, a need has arisen for a traprequiring minimal effort for the consumer in installation requiring noseparate tools, cutting, or special hangers. Such prior art traps alsoinherently leak and spill when discarded because there is no adequateclosure to seal the bag after use. Thus, a need has arisen for adisposable flying insect trap that includes a cost effective resealingstructure for sealing the trap after use to prevent leakage or spillage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In order to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art, the disposableflying insect trap of the present invention includes an insect entryplate with a plastic bag secured to and hanging from the entry plateperiphery. The plastic bag contains insect attractant, and the entryplate includes at least one entry port through which insects can passfor capture within the bag. A lid is connectable to the entry plate andis adjustably positioned from a first position that seals the lid to theentry plate and thus closes off the entry port and the bag interior tothe surrounding environment. The lid is adjustably positioned to asecond position where the lid is displaced from, and defines a gaprelative to, the entry plate surface to enable the entry port and baginterior to be in communication with the surrounding environment so thatthe flying insects can fly into the bag interior.

The adjustable positioning of the lid to the entry plate is preferablyaccomplished by providing a plurality of circular sockets and aplurality of cylindrical posts adjacent to the sockets on the entryplate upper surface. The lid includes complementary pins on its lower orunderside surface that are defined by a cylindrical wall with an opencylindrical recess. The lid is, in a first position, sealingly attachedto the entry plate by inserting the lid pins within the entry platesockets to retain the lid to the entry plate whereby the lid forms aseal with the entry plate upper surface. The lid is removable andpositionable in a second position displaced from the entry plate uppersurface by attaching the lid pins onto the posts of the entry platewhereby the cylindrical recesses of the lid pins are inserted over the.entry plate posts to maintain the lid in a spaced apart position fromthe entry plate upper surface.

The disposable insect trap is assembled and packaged for the consumersuch that the insect attractant is within the plastic bag and the lid issealed to the entry plate and plastic bag in its first position. Theconsumer will remove the lid from the first sealed position and willfill the plastic bag with water or other liquid to a desired level asinstructed. The lid will be re-connected in the second position toenable the lid to be supported by, yet spaced from, the entry plateupper surface and the assembled fly trap can then be hung at a desiredlocation.

Removal of the lid from the entry plate may require some force, butwithout the use of separate tools, because the lid is intended to betightly secured and sealed to the entry plate during shipment. Thisremoval is accomplished by a hang cord that is retained by the entryplate and loops through holes in the lid that are offset from the pointswhere the cord is retained on the entry plate. Thus, a portion of thehang cord is in facing or parallel relationship to the underside of thelid when the lid is sealed to the entry plate such that when the hangcord is pulled by the user, an upward force is directed to the undersideof the lid to dislodge or disengage the lid from the entry plate.

When the fly trap is spent, i.e., when the amount of flies collected issubstantial and/or the attractant weakens after a period of time inaccordance with the type of attractant utilized, the lid is removed fromits second position and re-installed to its first sealed position. Atight seal is thus provided for disposal of the fly trap without leakageor spillage.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide adisposable flying insect trap that is sealable prior to use andresealable after use.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a disposableflying insect trap that is installed without use of any separate toolsand requires no cutting or other special installation.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a disposableflying insect trap that is sealable and resealable to protect thewater-soluble bait packet during distribution, until use, and alsoserves to eliminate messy spills or splashes during disposal.

Still further, it is an object of the present invention to provide adisposable flying insect trap with a sealable lid that can be readilyremoved from its sealed position without separate tools and withoutrequiring great effort by the consumer. More specifically, the removalof the lid is accomplished by pulling up on the hang cord that is usedto hang the assembly. This pulling action on the hang cord applies anupward force component to the underside of the lid, at the lid holeedges, which displaces or disengages the lid from the entry plate.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings serve to illustrate the present invention, but are notintended to be drawn to scale.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the disposable flying insect trap of thepresent invention with the lid sealed to the entry plate;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the disposable flying insect trap shownin FIG. 1 with the lid removed from, and hanging from, the entry plateand showing the entry of liquid into the bag interior;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the disposable flying insect trap shownin FIG. 1 with the lid in its displaced second position;

FIG. 4 is a partial side view of the disposable flying insect trap shownin FIG. 1 with the lid in a sealed position;

FIG. 5 is a partial side view of the disposable flying insect trap shownin FIG. 1 with the lid being removed from the entry plate;

FIG. 6 is a top view of the entry plate of the insect trap shown in FIG.1 with the lid removed;

FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 4showing the lid sealed to the entry plate by the lid pin inserted in theentry plate socket;

FIG. 8 is a partial side view of the insect trap shown in FIG. 1 withthe lid in a second position to define a gap or space between the entryplate upper surface and the underside of the lid;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional side view taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 8showing the lid connected with the entry plate where the entry platepost is fitted within the cylindrical recess of the lid pin;

FIG. 10 is a partial side view of the insect trap shown in FIG. 1 withthe lid secured to the entry plate.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view from FIG. 10, showing thehang cord disposed between the entry plate upper surface and theunderside of the lid in the first or sealed position;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 11, butshowing the movement of the lid from the sealed position when the hangcord is pulled; and

FIG. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view similar to FIGS. 11 and 12,but showing the lid removed from the entry plate and the hang cordretained by the entry plate;

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Although only one preferred embodiment of the invention is explained indetail, it is to be understood that the embodiment is given by way ofillustration only. It is not intended that the invention be limited inits scope to the details of construction and arrangement of componentsset forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings.Also, in describing the preferred embodiment, specific terminology willbe resorted to for the sake of clarity. It is to be understood that eachspecific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in asimilar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.

Referring now to the drawings, a preferred embodiment of the disposableflying insect trap according to the present invention is designatedgenerally by the reference numeral 10 and includes an entry plate ofpreferably circular profile, generally designated by reference numeral20, with a plastic bag 30 secured to, and hanging from, the plateperiphery 23. The plastic bag 30 is retained to the plate by a retainingring 40. A lid 50 is detachably and adjustably connected to the entryplate 20 in a manner to be described. A hang cord or string 60 isretained by the entry plate 20 and looped through lid holes 51 in thelid 50. A bait packet 32 is disposed within the plastic bag 30 duringshipment with the lid 50 sealed to the entry plate 20. The bait packet32, when mixed with water (FIG. 2), provides an attractant to theinsects as is known in the art. The disposable insect trap 10 is shippedwith the lid 50 sealed to the entry plate (FIG. 1), the lid 50 isremoved by the consumer from the entry plate 20 and the bag 30 is filledpartially with water or other liquid (FIG. 2), and the lid 50 is thenpositioned on the entry plate 20 in a spaced apart arrangement from theentry plate surface 22 to enable flying insects to enter into theplastic bag for destruction (FIG. 3). When the attractant is spent orthe plastic bag otherwise filled with insects, or when disposal isdesired for any reason, the lid 50 is then secured to the entry plate inits sealed position and the trap is discarded.

Turning now to the specific components of the invention, the entry plate20 includes an upper surface 22 that is preferably slightly domed, asshown, and preferably of circular profile. At its circumferentialperiphery 23, the entry plate 20 includes a downwardly oriented skirt 21with an annular trapezoidal notch 24 in the outwardly facing skirtsurface which serves as one clamping surface for clamping the plasticbag to the entry plate periphery. (See FIGS. 7 and 9.) A clamping orretaining ring 40 of generally annular configuration has an internallyfacing trapezoidal annular projection 41 which is complementary to andreceivable within the notch 24 of the skirt 21. The upper edge of theplastic bag 30 is clamped between the skirt 21 of the entry plate 20 andthe retaining ring 40.

The retaining ring 40 and the entry plate 20 are preferably both made ofrigid PVC material, and the retaining ring is sized to slide upward froma direction below the bottom of the entry plate with the bag positionedadjacent to the entry plate skirt 21 to provide a taut snap fit betweenthe retaining ring and skirt with the bag therebetween. The retainingring 40 grips and retains the plastic bag against the entry plate skirt21 with sufficient strength so that the bag will remain retained to theentry plate when the bag is filled with water. Although a rigid PVCretaining ring that is snap fitted into the notch 24 of the skirt tosupport the plastic bag is preferred, other arrangements for maintainingthe plastic bag to the entry plate periphery can be provided. Forexample, the retaining ring could be manufactured from a flexible bandor the plastic bag could be heat sealed to the edge of the entry plateperiphery. Generally, any technique for securing the plastic bag 30 tothe entry plate periphery 23 may be utilized.

Inward of the entry plate periphery 23 is a channel 25 of circularconfiguration that receives the lid edge 52, in a manner to bedescribed. (See FIGS. 7 and 9.) This channel 25, when engaged with thelid edge 52, provides for a seal between the entry plate 20 and the lid50. As used herein, the terms “seal” or “sealable” mean sufficientliquid sealing to prevent leakage of fluid within the bag as it is beingdisposed and sufficient air-sealing to protect against obnoxious odorsescaping from the bait packet when the trap is being shipped and beforeuse.

The entry plate 20 includes a plurality of entry plate ports 26. Fourports are shown, but the exact number may vary and still be within thescope of the present invention. Each of the entry ports 26 includessubstantially conically-shaped extensions 27 disposed toward theinterior of the plastic bag 30. The entry ports 26 enable water or otherliquid to be poured into the plastic bag for activation of theattractant, as shown in FIG. 2, as is known in the art. The entry ports26 also provide an entryway for flying insects to enter into the plasticbag 30 when attracted by the bait 32, thus being retained in the plasticbag by contact with the liquid 33.

Diametrically aligned entry plate cord holes 29 are provided through theentry plate surface 22 inwardly from the entry plate periphery 23. Thecord holes 29 retain the hang cord 60 to the entry plate 20. As shown inFIG. 13, the cord 60 is retained by the entry plate by tying off orknotting 62 the ends of the hang cord underneath the entry plate. Thehang cord 60 forms a loop through the cord holes 29 and the lid holes 51of the lid 50, in a manner to be described, to enable the flying insecttrap 10 to be supported from a convenient hook or other support member(not shown) at the desired location.

Disposed adjacent the entry plate periphery 23 are a plurality of entryplate sockets 80. Four sockets 80 disposed 90.degree. apart from eachother are shown, but the exact number could vary without departing fromthe scope of the present invention. Each of these sockets 80 definecylindrical recesses, having circular openings to receive pins 54disposed on the underside 53 of the lid 50, in a manner to be described.When the lid pins 54 are inserted within the sockets 80, as best shownin FIG. 7, the lid 50 is securely fastened to the entry plate 50 withthe lid edge 52 tightly received within the peripheral channel 25 on thetop surface 22 of the entry plate 20 to form the seal. This sealedposition of the lid 50 on the entry plate 20 is defined as the firstposition.

Adjacent each of the sockets 80 on the entry plate 20 are a plurality ofentry plate posts 90. The posts 90 are shown as four in number and alsodisposed 90.degree. apart. The posts 90 are generally cylindrical andintegrally formed in the upper surface 22 of the entry plate 20. Theposts 90 are preferably recessed slightly into the entry plate surface22 to define a circular channel 92 about each post. As will bedescribed, the posts 90 are sized to receive the lid pins 54 byinsertion of the posts 90 into the lid pin cylindrical recess 55, aswill be described. When fully inserted, the lid 50 will be secured tothe entry plate 20, but spaced from the entry plate surface 22 to form agap 100 between the entry plate surface 22 and the underside 57 of thelid 50 to enable the insects to fly or crawl through the gap 100,through the entry ports 26 and into the plastic bag interior. Thisoffset position of the lid 50 with respect to the entry plate 20 isdefined as the second position.

The lid is of substantially circular profile having a diameter less thanthat of the entry plate and preferably also formed of rigid PVCmaterial. The lid 50 is shown to have a slightly domed or convex shapewith a downwardly extending circumferential edge or lip 52 that is sizedrelative to the entry plate channel 25 to be tightly securedtherewithin. That is, the width of the edge 52 is substantially equal tothe channel 25 width so that the lid 50 is tightly secured therewithinto define a seal between the lid 50 and the entry plate 20. The lid 50includes a pair of lid holes 51 for receiving the looped hang cord 60.The lid holes 51 are along a diameter of the lid, but are angularlydisposed with respect to the entry plate cord holes 29 when the lid 50is secured to the entry plate 20 in its first or sealed position. Thus,when the lid 50 is secured to the entry plate 20 in a sealed position,the hang cord 60 retained by the entry plate 20 is diverted slightly totravel laterally underneath the lid surface 57 and exit the lid at lidholes 51 slightly displaced from the position of the hang cord retentionopenings 29.

Stated otherwise, as can be seen in FIG. 11, the lid holes 51 are notaligned with the cord holes 29 and a portion 65 of the hang cord 60 liesin facing relationship to the underside 57 of the lid 50 in the sealedposition. Disengagement of the lid 50 from the entry plate 20 isaccomplished by pulling up on the hang cord 60, as shown on FIG. 12,whereby the offset orientation of the lid holes 51 and the entry platecord holes 29 provide for an upwardly directed force component on theunderside 57 of the lid 50 which force component is directed primarilyto the edges 58 of lid hole openings 51. This pulling up of the hangcord 60 by the user enables the lid 50 to be dislodged or disengagedfrom the entry plate 20.

The lid holes 51 can lie along the same circumference as the entry platecord holes 29, but angularly displaced along the circumference slightly.Alternatively, the lid holes 51 and entry plate cord holes 29 could beoriented radially with respect to each other. It is important only thatthey be sufficiently offset, i.e., not aligned with each other when thelid 50 is sealed to the entry plate 20. This offset enables a portion 65of the hang cord to be disposed laterally underneath the lid 50 betweenthe lid and the entry plate surface 22 so that an upwardly directedforce is provided on the lid when the hang cord is pulled.

Disposed from the underside 57 of the lid 50 are a plurality of lid pins54, preferably four in number, complementary to the socket openings 80of the entry plate 20. The pins 54 are substantially cylindrical incontour with opposed slits 59 to enable pin wall flexing. The pins 54are open at the bottom and define a cylindrical recess 55. Thecylindrical recess 55 is sized to provide a firm fit over the posts 90of the entry plate as shown in FIG. 9. Similarly, the outercircumference of the pins 54 are sized to be tightly received within thesockets 80, with some flexibility, to provide a tight and secure fitwhen the lid 50 is in the sealed or first position.

Utilization of the disposable flying insect trap 10 is as follows.Before use, the trap 10 is assembled with the bait packet 32 within thebag 30 and with the lid 50 sealed to the entry plate 20, as shown inFIG. 1. The user will remove the lid 50 from the entry plate 20, bypulling on the hang cord 60, as shown sequentially in FIGS. 11-13. Whenthe lid 50 is dislodged and then disengaged from the entry plate, thelid can hang freely from the bag as shown in FIG. 2. Water or otherliquid will then be deposited within the bag to a desired level inaccordance with user instructions (see FIG. 2). When the bag 30 isfilled to the desired level, the lid 50 is placed back on the entryplate 20 in its second position such that the split pins 54 of the lid50 fit on the posts 90 of the entry plate 20 with the cylindrical splitpins 54 disposed in the channel 92 surrounding the posts 90 (see, FIG.9). The hang cord 60 is then connected to a suitable hook, etc. (notshown) and the gap 100 defined between the lid 50 and the entry platesurface 22 enables the flying insects to enter into the entry ports 26and into the bag for containment. When the bag is to be disposed, thelid 50 is removed from the entry plate 20 in its second position and thelid pins 54 are inserted into the sockets 80 of the entry plate, seeFIG. 6, to enable a seal to form between the lid edge 52 and the entryplate channel 25. Spillage is thus prevented and the bag is disposed of.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and, accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

1. A disposable flying insect trap comprising: an insect entry platewith a plastic bag secured to and hanging from a plate periphery, saidentry plate including an upper surface and a lower surface that meet oneanother at an outer peripheral edge, said plastic bag adapted to containinsect attractant, said entry plate including at least one entry portextending through said upper and lower surfaces for guiding flyinginsects into said plastic bag for capture therein and a continuouschannel that encircles said entry port and is spaced between said entryport and said outer peripheral edge; a lid having a downwardlyprojecting continuous lip shaped to fit into said continuous channelwith a friction fit to connect said lid to said plate in a firstposition to form a liquid-tight seal that prevents leakage of liquidfrom the bag through the entry port to the surrounding environment, saidlid also being configured to connect to said entry plate in a secondposition in which the lid and the projecting lip are spaced from saidentry plate and said continuous channel to open the entry port to thesurrounding environment; and said lid being held in said first positionby pins on one of said lid or said plate, said pins being configured tobe received in corresponding sockets in the other of said lid or saidplate and said pins fitting within the sockets in frictional engagementtherewith when said lid is in said first position.
 2. The insect trap ofclaim 1, wherein said entry plate and said lid each have circularprofiles and wherein said entry plate channel is circular and formed insaid upper surface of said entry plate, and wherein said continuous lipof said lid extends circumferentially around said lid.
 3. The insecttrap of claim 1, wherein each of said pins has an outer wall thatdefines a corresponding central recess, said wall having slits to enablewall flexibility when connecting said plate to said lid.
 4. The insecttrap of claim 3, wherein the lid or the plate having the sockets isfurther provided with posts, said posts being received within the hollowcenter of said pins when the lid and the plate are connected in thesecond position.
 5. The insect trap of claim 1, wherein said trapcontains insect attractant which is liquified prior to trap use byadding water to said plastic bag.
 6. The insect trap of claim 1, whereinsaid continuous lip of said lid is a circumferential edge on said lid.7. A disposable flying insect trap comprising: an insect entry platewith a plastic bag secured to and hanging from a plate periphery, saidplastic bag adapted to contain insect attractant, said entry plateincluding at least one entry port for guiding flying insects into saidplastic bag for capture therein and a continuous channel located betweenand spaced from each of an outer edge of said plate periphery and saidentry port to encircle said entry port at a distance therefrom and besubstantially continuous with said outer edge of said plate periphery;and a lid having an elongated projection correspondingly shaped withsaid channel so as to be insertable therein to sealingly connect saidlid to said plate in a first position so as to prevent leakage of liquidfrom the bag through the entry port to the surrounding environment, saidlid also being configured to connect to said entry plate in a secondposition in which the lid is spaced from said entry plate to define agap therebetween to open the entry port to the surrounding environment;and said lid being held in said first position by pins on one of saidlid or said plate, said pins being configured to be received incorresponding sockets in the other of said lid or said plate and saidpins fitting within the sockets in frictional engagement therewith whensaid lid is in said first position.
 8. The insect trap of claim 7,wherein said channel receives said elongated projection on said lid witha friction fit.
 9. The insect trap of claim 7, wherein said elongatedprojection is a circumferential edge of said lid.
 10. The insect trap ofclaim 7, wherein each of said pins has an outer wall that defines acorresponding central recess, said wall having slits to enable wallflexibility when connecting said plate to said lid.
 11. The insect trapof claim 10, wherein the lid or the plate having the sockets is furtherprovided with posts, said posts being received within the hollow centerof said pins when the lid and the plate are connected in the secondposition.
 12. The insect trap of claim 7, wherein said entry plateincludes an upper surface and a lower surface, said outer edge of saidplate periphery joining said upper and lower surfaces.
 13. A disposableflying insect trap comprising: an insect entry plate with a plastic bagsecured to and hanging from a plate periphery, said plastic bag adaptedto contain a liquid insect attractant, said entry plate including aplurality of entry ports through which insects can pass for capturewithin said plastic bag and a top entry surface with a substantiallycontinuous connecting structure that extends around said entry ports; alid having a connecting structure complementary with said entry plateconnecting structure that interlocks with said plate connectingstructure to sealingly connect said lid to said plate in a firstposition so as to prevent leakage of said liquid insect attractant fromthe bag through the entry port to the surrounding environment, said lidbeing connectable to said entry plate in a second position where the lidis displaced from said entry plate to open the entry port to thesurrounding environment; and said lid being held in said first positionby pins on one of said lid or said plate, said pins being configured tobe received in corresponding sockets in the other of said lid or saidplate and each of said pins having an outer wall and an inner recess,said outer wall having at least one slit that, with said inner recess,enables wall flexibility when connecting said plate to said lid, saidpins fitting within the sockets in frictional engagement therewith whensaid lid is in said first position.
 14. The insect trap of claim 13,wherein said plate connecting structure is a channel that extends aroundand is substantially continuous with said outer edge of saidcircumference of said plate periphery, and said lid connecting structureis a continuous elongated projection corresponding in shape with saidchannel and engageable therein with a friction fit.
 15. The insect trapof claim 14, wherein said elongated projection is an edge of said lid.16. The insect trap of claim 13, wherein the lid or the plate having thesockets is further provided with posts, said posts being received withinthe inner recess of said pins when the lid and the plate are connectedin the second position.
 17. The insect trap of claim 13, wherein saidsubstantially continuous circumferential connecting structure is achannel that is substantially parallel with said outer edge of thecircumference of said plate periphery.